The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

Bail bid for jailed WA pedophile

A jailed pedophile applying for bail after more than 10 years in prison will have his application for release determined by a Supreme Court judge next week.

Kenneth William Bishop, 74, is accused of being part of an elaborate and sophisticated conspiracy to commit child sex offences in Thailand with two other convicted paedophiles, Mark Pendleton and Robert Gordon Cummins, he met in prison.

Bishop had been due for parole release from prison on his previous convictions in September 2010, but he had that release order cancelled after becoming a suspect in the conspiracy.

He was charged for his part in the conspiracy in September 2011, and has been in prison awaiting trial on those charges since.

At the West Australian Supreme Court, Justice Lindy Jenkins was told by defence lawyer Rod Keeley that Bishop was a minor player in the conspiracy.

He said Bishop was engaged to be married to a woman he had met in prison and had been effectively waiting two years for his trial and was a low flight risk because of his age.

But prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo opposed the bail application, saying the case against Bishop as part of the conspiracy was strong.